


Dark Secrets

by MrsAlwaysWrite



Series: A War Against Lions [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Action, Arya Stark is a badass, Explicit Language, F/M, Faceless Arya, Flirting, Mild Sexual Content, Police, SWAT, Sexual Tension, Swearing, The Faceless Men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-07 18:57:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16859536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsAlwaysWrite/pseuds/MrsAlwaysWrite
Summary: Its been four months since Officer Gendry Waters has seen Arya Stark which infuriates him. Suddenly she reappears and drags him along to get new intel for taking down the Lannister organization. In a short time he finds himself falling harder for her, this woman cloaked in danger and intrigue. Can they take down the Lannisters together and perhaps become more than just coworkers?Part 2 of A War Against Lions.Need to read Part 1-The Informant- for this to fully make sense.





	Dark Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So my short piece The Informant got such great reviews and love I had to write another piece. I plan on writing a part 3 to complete this story.  
> Please let me know what you think of this. I definitely did not mean for it to be as long as it is but hey, why not? Also this is un'betad so any mistakes are my own, sorry!  
> Comments and kudos are the best! Thanks everyone!

 

Gendry ambled through the back door leading into the police department, exhausted and infuriated. He knew his fellow SWAT brothers felt the same way. This was the third raid they had been on this month that turned out useless. A new informant surfaced amongst the Lannister scum they picked up, but so far his words were worth less than a pile of shit. He had promised to get them results and every time he swore he had a new bite for them, Gendry’s hope rose for taking down the Lannister organization. Secretly, with each new bite they received, he hoped to get a call from the woman who haunted his dreams…Arya Stark. It had been four months since he last saw her and he hated to admit how much that was driving him mad. Whenever his direct phone line rang, he hoped it was her. Whenever an informant came in, he prayed it was her. She had burrowed beneath his skin and no matter what he did, he could not escape her memory. It did not matter, he needed to focus on this newest informant and getting proper information. Police Chief Dondarrion was going to be up Clegane’s ass soon enough. These three useless raids were time-consuming and costly with nothing to show for it. There would not be a fourth raid like this without heads rolling after.

Gendry followed behind some of the guys into the bullpen of the King’s Landing Police Department. He knew on his desk lay a pile of paperwork that sounded like the pits of hell right now that he needed to finish up. The idea of his quiet apartment and his bed pulled on him. He had been up over twenty-four hours and he could feel every hour lacking sleep hanging over him. Yesterday he arrived at the station at six AM for his usual duties. They had received the new information at four PM that afternoon. Obtaining and waiting for the search warrant had taken five hours. The raid had not gone smoothly for the target was an townhouse in one of the poorer neighborhoods. The opportunity to pick up Gregor Clegane was too great to pass up, another big fish in the Lannister organization. Unfortunately after several hours of failed negotiations then a assault on the townhouse only resulted in apprehending a lesser scum, pretending to be Gregor Clegane, who even managed a lucky shot to one of the officers in the assault. Now it was five AM and Gendry’s body demanded sleep. Once he got things sorted out with the SWAT team leader, Sandor Clegane, and sent the rest of the SWAT team to their homes to rest, he planned on sneaking away for a few hours.

 Once he walked into the bullpen and noticed a person sitting in his chair, feet up on his desk, all thoughts of sleep fled his mind. He was not he only one to take note of her reclining in his spot.

“Mysterious Cat!” Tormund Giantsbane’s voice boomed cheerfully as he took a couple steps in her direction. “Where have you been?”

“Avoiding you.” She called back, deadpanned, twirling a pen between her fingers.

Some of the guys laughed as they dispersed around the large, open room. Gendry smiled walking towards her. He tried to ignore the ‘go get ‘er, tiger’ that Stone whispered to him and the slap on the back and the not-so-subtle wink from Giantsbane. This time she wore jeans, combat boots, a black tank top under a leather jacket which gave the impression she just jumped off a motorcycle before taking up residence in his chair.

“How did the raid go?” She casually asked.

He dropped onto the corner of his desk, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m suspecting you already know.”

A smirk emerged on her face. “True. Such a pity.”

“You got something for me? Any real intel besides the shit we’ve been getting lately?”

“Perhaps, but I don’t give it away for free.”

He could not help but smile as he teased her. “So…you’re going to make me work for it?”

Gray eyes holding his blue ones, she slowly licked her lips sensually. “Don’t worry, I won’t break you.”

His laugh at her comment died in his chest as his heart rate spiked and blood rushed to his manhood as he watched her eyes trail over his body. He had not seen nor spoken with her for four months and they were already back to this strange sexual flirting. A jealous side of him wondered if she did this with every guy or just him.

“You busy now?”

“Ah…no.” He knew one of the storage rooms towards the back of the station had no windows and a lock. It might be a bit dusty but if she…

“Good, I want to see the location.” She gracefully rose in one swift motion, his car keys magically appearing in her hand.

“Wait…what?” His mind scrambled trying to understand what was going on. Why did she have his car keys? How did she get a hold of them?

“The location you were just at. Show me.”

“Now?”

She stared at him like it was the dumbest question she had ever heard.

Wilting, he ran his hands over his face. The last thing he wanted to do was return there. The residents of the other townhouses were less than thrilled about their disturbed night and were quite vocal about it. One man even spat in Riddle’s face. “We just left, you know? The residents won’t be too happy to see us come back.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

He sighed, clearly she was expecting his unwilling participation. Truthfully he did not want to give up the opportunity to see her more. He felt honored she specifically sought him out. “Get me six cups of coffee and I’m good to go.”

“I’m sure we can work out some kind of deal.” She started towards the back door, leading towards the officers’ parking lot. “I’m driving!”

Swiftly grabbing his phone and wallet, he jogged to catch up with her. They walked towards his truck, parked amongst his fellow on-duty cops’ vehicles. It was a decent side, black two-door pick-up truck with an open truck bed, nothing fancy. He used to have an expensive four-door truck with enough horsepower and torque to turn heads that was his pride and joy but it was vandalized and parts stolen. He figured it made more sense this time to stick with simple and durable.  

“You know this is my truck, I should be driving it.”

She waved a dismissive hand as she unlocked the truck and headed towards the driver’s door. Shaking his head, he opened the passenger’s door and slid in. He did not buckle, figuring it would not take long for her to need to switch places with him or they find a new vehicle. This truck had a stick shift, something most people seemed to not know how to use. It was one of the reasons he bought this particular truck. He figured it was less likely to be stolen since major of people could not drive stick anymore. He should have known better. Arya slipped into the driver’s seat, adjusted the steering wheel and mirror before turning the truck on. Without a word or look his way, she moved the stick shift into place and zoomed out of the parking lot like a boss.  He stared at her momentarily stunned before shaking his head. Why was he surprised? He should not be… He guessed the amount of things she was incapable of doing was minimal. Dammit if she did not look sexy as hell driving his truck with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the stick. Dear gods, the things she could probably do with those hands…

“So are you back now?” He quickly asked before his mind went further and his body responded. Leaning his head back on the glass separating the cab of the truck from the bed, he watched her. This time her hair was down and hung loosely just past her shoulders. It was stick straight and the color of chocolate, with hints of a honey brown when the sunlight hit it just right.

“For now, there’s some intel worth following up.”

“Are you going to tell me this intel?”

She peeked over her shoulder at him, smirking. “Not yet.”

“You’re a terrible informant.”

She laughed, a beautiful sound that made Gendry’s heart constrict. “I’m your best informant. I give you results. I’d like to meet this informant whose been giving you bad intel.”

“I’m sure I can arrange something.” His eyes drifted shut on their own, the warm sunlight felt good on his face. Strangely enough he was relaxed in Arya’s presence, turned-on yes, but comfortable. He could feel his breathing slowing, his mind clawing at the sleep he so desperately kept denying.

“I’ll wake you up when we get there.”

He squinted an eye at her. “I thought you needed me to take you there, to show you?”

“I know where it is, stupid.”

“Of course you do. Why am I here then? Awww…did you miss me?” He teased, unable to hide the smile on his lips.

She did not answer for several long moments, only staring ahead at the road and worrying her bottom lip. He wondered if he said something wrong. He did not want to ruin the dynamics and scare her off… not that she was most likely easily scared off. Selfishly, he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. She was an enigma he wanted to solve. Finally she answered softly, her words heavy. “You’re a good man to have around.”

What in seven hells did that mean? He guessed she rarely gave out true compliments and the impact of her words hit him harder than he expected. “Thanks…I’m glad you’re back. Don’t get me wrong, you’re kind of terrifying but I like having you around.” Oh dear gods! Did those words just come out of his mouth? He must be more tired than he thought. It was a bad habit that if unchecked, he would ramble when extremely tired and relaxed. Like his mind had to clear the bats out of the attic before it could quiet down enough for him to sleep.

“Oh gods! We’re not supposed to hug or something now, are we?”

He laughed at her sarcastic tone, glad she did not follow up with what he said.

“Now, got to sleep, stupid.”

“As m’lady commands…ouch!” A swift jab to his ribs caused him to jerk.

“Call me that again and I’ll toss you out of the truck.”

“It’s MY truck.”

“Not while I’m driving it.”

He pretended to grumble and situate himself more comfortably. His head against the window, his eyes drifted shut again and sleep overtook him but not before he saw a smile on her beautiful face.

 

* * *

 

Gendry jerked awake, his mind scrambling to remember where he was. His neck had a kink to it, probably from being bent at an awkward angle while he slept. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around his truck then realized what was wrong. He was alone. Quickly, he opened the door and got out, surveying around him for Arya. She would not just leave him sleeping, right? Immediately he recognized where he was as he scanned the sidewalk and storefronts. He was in the fish-market area, outside the old walls of King’s Landing. Although the place no longer boasted the open marketplace for selling its wares like in the old days, this area was still a huge hub for buying food, trinkets and particularly fish in the shops. Traders and shipments typically came to the harbor next to the fish-market, and although this area and its wares were no-where near the high-end quality, this is where most of the people of King’s Landing came to shop.

To his even greater surprise, he spied Arya sitting casually at a table outside of a café laughing at something the man sharing the table with her said. Gendry stalked over, passing a few people as they walked down the sidewalk.

“Oi, there he is!” Officer Davos Seaworth called over, catching Gendry’s eye. The older man had short salt and pepper hair and thin beard, a slender build for all his hours walking along the fish-market which was his foot patrol, and a permanent smile on his face. Gendry did not think he had ever met anyone with a more sunny, optimistic personality. He sat with his legs stretched out before him, a paper cup from the café behind them in hand. “We thought we’d let ya sleep a bit longer. Ya look like ya could use a few more hours.”

Gendry dropped down onto the metal chair next to Arya, across from Davos. “You were supposed to wake me up.” He mumbled, rubbing the heel of his hand against his eye.

Arya shrugged, placing a paper to-go cup in front of him.

“Don’t worry, I’ve been keepin’ your friend, Cat here, entertained. Been tellin’ her everythin’ she needs to know about ya.”

Gendry took a sip of the coffee…black just as the gods intended it to be. He momentarily wondered if Arya knew that or Davos told her. “I’m hoping that means you’re only telling her the good points.”

“Ah, ya know. The good…the bad…she particularly seemed to enjoy the story from your rookie year when ya chased that man into a brothel and got more than ya bargained for.”

A quick glance at Arya showed a knowing smile. Shit, not one of his finest moments. He groaned internally, taking another sip. The coffee was doing wonders to his mind, he was beginning to feel human again. “Sounds like I shouldn’t leave you two alone anymore.”

“Don’t worry, I already know all your secrets.” Arya winked at him, as she brought her café mug to her lips.

Gods, how did she have the ability with her few words and that wink and all he wanted to do was lean over, capture her lips with his and let their tongues fight for dominance until they both were breathless. He suddenly felt like a horny teenager.

“Well I best be off.” Davos rose, holding his to-go cup still. “It was a pleasure to meet ya, Cat. Keep an eye on this one here for me. He’s a good lad.”

“I’ll try.”

“We’ll be seein’ ya on Sunday, aye? The boys been askin’ ‘bout ya.” Davos turned his attention to Gendry, a fond look in his eyes. “I’m sure ya can bring Cat along. Its nice to see ya with somebody, beggin’ ya pardon, Cat. The boy here hasn’t had a girlfriend in years. Married to his work, he says.”

“I’ll be by.” Gendry could not help the smile even though he was pretty sure Davos was purposely trying to embarrass him. The man had been his partner for his first two years as a cop, doing foot patrol around the fish-market and docks. It started during that time that Gendry would go to Davos’ home on Sundays for dinner. A few friends and neighbors could come also. Davos’ wife was a great cook and his two boys, around Gendry’s age, became quick friends. It felt almost like a surrogate family, something Gendry deeply embraced.

Gendry and Arya sat in silence for several minutes, sipping on their drinks and watching those around them after Davos left. There were so many questions that stumbled about in Gendry’s mind. During the four months since he had last seen her, he looked up what he could about her family and her father’s death. There were many gaping holes in his information but what picture he could piece together was not pretty. After her father’s, the prior police chief Ned Stark, untimely death, there was chaos surrounding the location of his family members. His wife and sons were vacationing in their family home back at Winterfell when his death occurred. Only his two daughters stayed at their residence in King’s Landing. Immediately the girls vanished, the papers were ranging between calling them kidnapped to abused daughters seeking revenge. No one knew the truth. A few months later, rumors started of the eldest Stark girl being seen in the Vale. As far as Gendry understood next, Ned Stark’s wife and eldest son traveled down to check out the rumor. They stopped at the Twins, Walder Frey being a family friend, hosting them before they resumed their journey. Something happened and both Starks quickly became ill and died. More rumors varied between food poisoning and tears of Lys. The Freys stated the Starks must have caught something while traveling along the King’s Road. The papers said the two younger Stark boys were still at Winterfell but vanished themselves after the deaths of their mother and brother.

“What are you doing here?” Gendry finally broke the silence, watching her.

She glanced over at him, a single eyebrow raised.

“I mean in King’s Landing. Why aren’t you looking for your family? Gods, where have you been these past ten years, Arya?”

Her gray eyes turned hostile as she leaned forward, closing the space between them. Her voice came out as a soft hiss. “Don’t call me that. My name is Cat. Cat of the Canals. As to why I am here…revenge. Blood for blood. So don’t get in my fucking way.” She leaned back and looked off to the side.

“Ok, Cat.” He hoped his voice sounded steady because he felt anything but that. It was disconcerting how quickly her demeanor could change to violent and deadly. “What are we doing in the fish-market? This is not where the raid was last night. I thought that’s where you wanted to go.”

Her stormy eyes turned back to meet his blue ones, as if assessing him. A devilish smile crossed her lips. Abruptly she stood up and moved to sit in his lap. The metal chair squeaked beneath him slightly. What was she doing? She turned so her ass was on one leg and her knees hanging off the other leg. Her arm closest to him, she put behind his shoulders, that devious smile still on her face.

Gendry was fairly certain he had stopped breathing. Why was she in his lap? Not that he wanted her to move. Gods, she was beautiful…and smelled good. Shit, when was the last time he showered or even brushed his teeth? Up close, he could see the pupils of her eyes rimmed with a dark blue before turning to the steel color he admired so much.

She plucked his cup from his hand and placed it on the table next to her mug before weaving her hand through his fingers on his lap. “You had a raid here a month ago. The first one from this new informant.”

“Uh yeah.” His brain was losing the ability to make coherent sentences. It was still trying to figure out why she was on his lap…in front of a café…in public.

Her voice was soft, intimate and just as sultry as ever. “The first raid was here, the second was in Flea Bottom, the third was at the Fish Monger’s Square. Nothing was found, yes?”

“Yeah…” He wondered where she was going with this…and her hand that was now gripping his thigh. One of his hands rested across her knees while the other was delicately on her hip, his arm around her back.

“If you wanted to transport something, what gate would you use?”

He thought for a moment as she traced patterns on his upper thigh with her finger. “The Lions Gate leads to the King’s Road but too many people and vehicles come in and out. It would be easier to get out at the Gate of the Gods and take a back road to jump onto the King’s Road.”

Her finger traveled up his lean torso to his chest as she continued to whisper. “Interesting how each of these three raids happened the furthest possible places from that gate, don’t you think so?”

“Oh shit.” He gripped her chin, holding her eyes with his own as what she was saying clicked. “They are decoys so the department will be distracted and miss whatever is actually going on… How long have you known this?”

Gently she pushed his hand away from her chin and entwined their fingers again. Leaning closer, she placed her mouth right next to his ear. “See that man across the street smoking?”

He saw the guy, unremarkable looking- a ball cap, leaning against a brick store front with a lit cigarette between his lips.

“He’s a Lannister man. There’s been one near every raid location. I stopped at each one. This man has been very poorly watching us. He’s almost finished an entire pack of cigarettes.”

Her breath on his neck and ear was driving him crazy but he tried to keep his mind focused. “You think our informant…is a Lannister man?”

 “It would make sense. He pretends to be a turn-coat but is actually steering you away from where the Lannisters will be. Not a bad idea.”

“Sounds like I need to have a talk with this informant. Care to join?”

Her tongue slid up the rim of his ear, causing his heart rate to spike and his breathing to stop. “I like the way you think.” She purred before giving his earlobe a flick with her tongue and nibbling it.

His hand on her hip tightened its grip. Gods she knew how to get his engine revving.  All he could think of was how badly he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and get her somewhere private. It could be a back alleyway or the bed of his truck for all he cared. Well if she was going to mess with his head, it felt he was allowed to reciprocate. Slowly he eased his hand from her knees up her legs to the space in between. They were still in public so he tried to subtly keep his hand on her thigh and run one finger down where he imagined her slit would be. He was not sure if he imaged that she seemed to press herself further into his hand.

“Hey, you two! Get a room!” Someone yelled at them walking out of the café.

Arya leaned back smirking and rose gracefully to her feet. Gendry was sure the tips of his ears were red. He quickly stood, adjusting his pants as much as possible to hide his growing erection.

“Let’s go back to the station. We have a few calls to make.” She stated calmly, starting towards his truck a few spots down the street. “You can drive.”

He easily caught his keys she tossed them over her shoulder smiling. His eyes drifted across the street to the Lannister man but he was no longer there. He realized that the little show in his lap Arya put on was for the benefit of that man, to make it seem like they were there for pleasure and not police work. It was clever and it seemed to have worked. He could not help but wonder if she messed with him just for fun or was there more to her sexual teasing?

On the way back to the station they talked about what the implications of this bad informant was, if there was a mole amongst the cops and how to best handle it. Pulling into the station’s parking lot, they decided Gendry would inform only Clegane and Police Chief Dondarrion of their thoughts. He would also try and get a hold of this informant and bring him in for questioning. When he got the guy, he would give Arya a call. She said there was someone who could help them but she needed to set up the meeting. He was not sure if she meant to invite him along but he was not going to miss the opportunity to see her, telling her he was going with.

“Hey, I still need to get your number.” Gendry stated, looking at her over the hood of his truck.

She turned back around, several feet away. “You have it already.” A quick wink and she continued walking away to, sure enough, a motorcycle parked. She quickly jumped on and zoomed off, slipping into traffic.

He shook his head, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He scanned through his contacts until he reached one he did not remember putting in. The contact’s name was- The Woman. He chuckled to himself, closing his phone. Yep, she was going to be the death of him.

 

* * *

 

“Hot Pie, you know I can’t keep typing up your reports for you.”

 “I know.” Hot Pie shuffled next to him. “You just make them sound better. Hey! I made cinnamon rolls, they are in the break room.”

“You told me that already.”

“Oh, well this time I tried a different type of icing using…”

Gendry quickly tuned out his friend as he finished up his report. He ran a hand over his face and noted the stubble. Yesterday evening he was flabbergasted when he received a text from The Woman telling him not to shave. Now two days’ worth of stubble resided on his face. Truthfully it was a good five o’clock shadow and made him look a little older.

“Alright, there you go. I just sent it to the printer.”

“Thanks man. I’ll grab it.” Hot Pie ambled away, waving and smiling at those he passed.

He peeked a glance at his phone for the umpteenth time that day. Nothing. It was idiotic how eager he was to hear something, anything from Arya. Part of him considered texting her with some kind of rubbish but decided not to. She would probably read through it easily. He leaned back in his chair. It was two PM. Should he get started on more paperwork or see if Clegane needed anything done? He loved most things about his job…except all the paperwork. It drained him and really all he was doing was typing onto his computer. Maybe it would be a good night to see if the guys wanted to get a drink after work?

His attention returned when someone sat on the edge of his desk.

Arya eyed him up and down, a crease between her eyebrows. “You can’t wear that.”

“What?”

“You look like a cop.”

“First you tell me not to shave and now you’re insulting my clothes. Did I miss something?”

“Wait, right here.” Just as abruptly as she arrived, she vanished, walking towards the holding cells.

“Hey, Gendry, who was that talking to you?” Hot Pie asked, coming back to his side, a cinnamon roll in hand.

“She’s an informant.”

“She’s a girl…a pretty girl.”

Gendry glared at Hot Pie. “So?”

“Ah, nothing…oh! She’s coming back! What do we do?”

Oh for the love of pigs, why was he friends with this guy? On more than one occasion, Gendry wondered if Hot Pie had truly ever gone through puberty and had a sexual awakening. Maybe he had a sexual thing for food? Gendry shut down that thought quickly. He did not want those images floating in his head.

Arya tossed a faded black t-shirt at him as she resumed her perch on his desk. “Put this on.” In her hands she held a man’s black leather jacket with a skull and crossbones impression on the back.

“What?” Gendry caught it, lifted it to his nose and immediately regretted the action. “This reeks of alcohol.”

“There wasn’t a lot of options.” She rolled her eyes before turning her gaze onto Hot Pie.

Hot Pie’s mouth hung slightly open before he seemed to realize he was visible to her. “Want a bite?” He held his cinnamon roll out to her.

“Hot Pie, this is Cat. Cat, Officer Hot Pie.” Gendry quickly introduced. “I’ll go change quick.”

“No, we’re going to be late. Change here.” Arya demanded, turning back to him.

“You want me to take my shirt off here?”

“Oh, I don’t mind.” She replied with a flirtatious gleam in her eye.

He was learning her game, if she wanted him to do this, he could play along. Keeping direct eye contact with her, he slowly lifted up the blue, collared shirt he wore over his head, making sure to flex just enough. He slowly tossed his shirt on the desk, giving her an extra moment to examine him. In his position on the SWAT team, it was a requirement to be in peak physical shape. Between long hours at the gym, trainings with the guys and his personal desire to be as strong as he could be, his body reflected that in his large pectorals, washboard abs, sculpted back and thick, toned arms. He hated sounded vain and conceited about himself but in this case, he knew he looked good. Arya’s eyes raked his body, leaving nothing untouched with her hot gaze. When her eyes returned to his, he felt as if he was coming undone right there.

“Hey! Waters is giving a strip tease again!” A couple wolfish whistles erupted as people in the bullpen took notice after Officer Giantsbane’s announcement.

Swiftly, Gendry put on the smelly black t-shirt and snatched the leather jacket from her. “Let’s go.”

She jumped off the desk, stepping close to him, her sexy voice low. “Anytime you want to undress again, let me know. I wouldn’t mind watching. Nice to meet you, Officer Hot Pie.” With that, she started towards the front door.

A quick glance at his friend confirmed he overheard what Arya had said to him. Not wanting to discuss that, he nodded to Hot Pie and took after Arya. He caught up to her as she stepped outside but before he could ask where they were going, the words died on his lips. Parked in the first visitor parking spot was the most beautiful, expensive, sleek car he had ever laid eyes upon. As if in a daze, he approached it. He heard about these cars, only a handful were made in the whole world. Zero to two hundred mph in six seconds flat. This one was a shiny black with two thick red stripes running from the front to the rear.

“Get in.”

“What?”

Arya opened the driver’s door. “Let’s go.”

His brain refused to comprehend the demand but his body responded. He found himself sliding onto the passenger’s seat. His mind was even more blown as the leather seat allowed him to sink into it. This car was probably worth more than he made in five years…and he was in the shotgun seat. “Is this yours?” He asked reverently, afraid to touch anything.

“Right now it is.”

“Right…now…did you steal it?!”

“I may give it back.”

“Cat!” He groaned. “You’re admitting to a cop that you stole this car.”

She shrugged. “It was necessary.”

“I can’t…we’re going to pretend your friend is lending you this car. Now, where are we going?”

“To ask a few questions. Now, open the glove compartment.”

He ignored her cryptic reply and opened the glove compartment. “What in seven hells?” Slowly he pulled out the fully automatic handgun, or machine pistol as it was called on the streets, that lay hidden in it. Speedily checking the clip, it was fully loaded. This gun was illegal in Westeros. What was it doing in this car? Whose car was this?

Arya glanced over. “Keep that on you but don’t flash it around. Where we’re going, we may need that. If anyone asks, you’re my bodyguard.”

 

Soon enough they arrived in a disreputable part of Flea Bottom. Hungry and wolfish looks followed them from those who walked by or lounged around. This was an area the police generally stayed out of for their own safety. People here were known to carry weapons and were unafraid to use them. Many were sellswords, or people who sold their prowess as a bodyguard or fighter, all in the hopes of making money.  

Once out of the car, Gendry stayed close to Arya, neither speaking. The handgun pressed against his lower back underneath the t-shirt and jacket yet easily accessible. He tried to scowl and walk less ridged, anything to lessen the idea he was a cop. Arya led them to a shabby apartment building, past the lounging men leering at her and up the four flights of stairs. Down a long hallway, she stopped before apartment number 412.

“Ready?” She smirked up at him.

“Do I have a choice?”

“Come on, aren’t you having fun?”

“I think we need to reevaluate your definition of fun.”

Smiling, she pushed the door open and stepped in, Gendry on her heels, closing the door behind them. They stood in the living room of a dingy apartment, the ancient-looking wallpaper peeling off the walls and multiple mysterious stains evident on the carpet. The air reeked of piss and cigarette smoke. Shouting could be heard in the apartment to their right, evidence of the paper thin walls. The strangest part of the room was the baby-faced, hairless man sitting with perfect posture in the black recliner facing them.

“My dear, it is so good to see you again. Please sit.” A well-manicured hand emerged from a long sleeve of the scarlet robe he wore to gesture to the couch adjacent to him. The hand quickly retreated back, his hands clasped in his lap but the robe’s massive sleeves hiding them. Gendry was surprised to see the strange man wearing a robe, it looked silk and expensive. He heard of people from Essos or even Braavos wearing these fancy, thin robes over their clothing but he had never seen it before.

Arya gave Gendry a brief look before moving over and sitting down on the disturbingly stained tan couch, closest to the strange man. Gendry followed, taking the seat next to her, sitting rigidly because of both the handgun against his back and his growing mistrust for the man before him. Everything about the man screamed soft, from his high-pitched voice to his smooth skin and plump lips. Even the man’s eyebrows were prefect thin lines. Gendry wondered if the man was vain about his appearance or lacked anything better to do with his time. Whatever it was, his instincts screamed danger so he wore his scowl and kept a hand loosely on the handgun behind him. Who was this man?

“Who is your friend here?” The man’s shrewd eyes meeting Gendry’s hard ones momentarily before returning to Arya.

“My bodyguard.”

The man giggled. “My dear, from what I’ve heard, you are the last person to need a bodyguard. I must admit, I was surprised to hear of your return to Westeros, especially King’s Landing. Here for nostalgia, perhaps?”

She leaned back, calm and collected, crossing one leg over the other. “I’m here to finish what the Lannisters started.”

“I suspect the streets will be running with blood before you are done.” A sad smile touched the man’s full lips.

She shrugged noncommittedly.

“Why did you call this meeting, although I am honored you sought me out?”

“Do you know what the Lannisters have been transporting lately?”

He sighed, fiddling with his hidden hands. “I have many birds but even they have been silent on that.”

“You wouldn’t lie to me, right? I promise the consequences would be most unpleasant. I have quite the imagination.”

“Why does no one believe the truthfulness of my words? No one weeps for the Spider, I fear.”

Recognition slammed into Gendry as he heard the man’s nickname. Before him sat Varys, the keeper and seller of secrets. He heard and knew of the man but had never met him. Varys kept to the shadows of the world but it was said he knew everything about those who held any semblance of power…or just caught his eye. His network of spies were rumored to be in every household in Westeros and across the Narrow Sea. Some said he was the true ruler of the Seven Kingdoms with his wheeling and dealing in secrets of others. Whatever he was, he was dangerous. Gendry felt himself tense but tried not to show it.

“Alright then,” Arya flicked her hair behind her shoulder casually, “I know Joffrey Lannister is here…do you know why and which nightclub he prefers?”

A punch landed to Gendry’s gut at her words. How could Joffrey be in King’s Landing and the department not know it?

“What makes you so confident that Joffrey is here? He would be quite the fool to show his face in this city.” Varys asked, eyes attentive to her.

She smirked, twirling the set of car keys around her pointer finger. “Because I drove his car here.”

Gendry stared at her, shocked, before catching himself. Oh shit. Then he thought of the handgun he had hidden. Now it made more sense why it was in the glove compartment.

“My dear, you are a delight.” Varys giggled again. “I am a seller of secrets. You must answer my question after I tell you.”

She nodded, giving Gendry a quick glance before turning back to Varys.

“As to why the foolish boy is here, I suspect it has to do with whatever they are transporting. I’m not surprised you know of the nightclubs, brothels really. He can only attend the underground ones, although police presence in brothels is forbidden. He seems to rotate between The Peaches and the Spice House.”

“You forgot one.”

“Mmm?”

“He seems to prefer the Jade Palace. All these nightclubs conveniently owned by none other than Petyr Baelish…a friend of yours.”

“Oh, an acquaintance really. Any friendship between the two of us is based solely on business.”

“Just so.” She tapped her leg a couple of times before speaking again. “What nights does he go to the Jade Palace?”

Varys shuddered comically. “An awful place, truly. But you are right. He spends most of his nights there while he resides in King’s Landing.”

“Excellent. Thank you for your time.” Arya stood up, Gendry following her towards the door.

“Oh, my dear!” Varys called over in his soft voice, waiting as she turned to face him. “I heard about Walder Frey and his many, many sons all found dead from food poisoning or some such thing last month. A dreadful thing, truly, to have one’s house almost entirely wiped out in a single night. A pity really.”

Arya’s looks turned predatory as her eyes darkened. “Tell them Winter came for House Frey. Tell them the North remembers.” With that, she opened the door and strode out of the room. Gendry stayed on her heels as she led them back to Joffrey’s car. His mind replayed the conversation he witnessed and what they had learned. He wondered how Arya managed to get a hold of Varys but decided to not pursue that subject along with how she stole Joffrey’s car…he guessed he did not want to hear the answer. Or what happened with the Freys.

“So was Joffrey being here the intel you had?”

Her eyes stayed forward. “How quickly can you get a warrant?”

“With Dondarrion and Clegane pushing for it with this intel, a couple hours probably.”

“Think your boys would be up for another raid?”

“To take down Joffrey? Hells yeah.”

 

Rather disturbingly fast, they made it back to the police station. Gendry tried his hardest to not glance over at the speedometer on the car. She parked in the same spot and pocketed the keys as they walked inside.

“Waters!”

Gendry looked and saw Clegane leaning against the front counter of the entrance way. “Yeah, boss?”

“Seems I got my answer. Good seein’ you again, Cat.” Clegane nodded to Cat as they came towards him.

“Likewise.”

Clegane’s scowl turned back to Gendry. “You wanted to know when that damn informant came back? He’s sitting at your desk now, the little shit.”

“Ok, we need to talk to you about getting a warrant.” Gendry made eye contact quick with Arya before starting towards the bullpen and his desk. Walking behind him, Clegane muttered something about intel and warrants. As they rounded the corner and started towards his desk, the informant looked up from the cell phone in his hands. His brown hair framed his soft face and blue eyes. Those blue eyes scanned Gendry then froze on Arya beside him. A fraction of a second later, the informant leapt from his chair, knocking it over and darting towards the side exit. 

“Stop!” Gendry yelled but before he took a step to try and catch the guy, Arya made her move. Jumping up and racing over the desks, silent and stealthy as a shadow cat, she leapt from a desk to pounce on the informant just as he reached the door. They rolled tangled up on the floor, fighting for a second, then Arya pinned him to the ground, kneeling above him with a long, slender knife to his throat. Gendry raced around the desks to join the half circle of spectators of fellow cops wanting a closer look.

“Hello again, pretty boy.” Arya smirked at the prone figure below her. “So you’re the informant?”

“You…” He sputtered, wide-eyed and breathing rapidly. “You’re a call girl…you can’t be a cop…we…you…your hands!”

“Seven hells, you’re a dumb one. I’ll say this nice and slow. Don’t move a muscle or I’ll make a eunuch out of you.”

The terrified informant nodded.

Arya slowly stood up like a goddess of chaos and revenge. Her hair looked slightly disheveled from the fight and her cheeks pink. She looked straight at Gendry. “Cuffs?”

He glanced over to Clegane a few steps behind him who always kept a pair of handcuffs on him. Clegane smirked as he tossed them to Gendry who tossed them to Arya.

“Roll over.” She commanded looking down at her now captive. Automatically he rolled over and she quickly handcuffed him behind his back. “Guess we don’t need this.” Grabbing his hair, she yanked it to reveal his brown hair was a wig and golden locks tumbled around his head.

“Show’s over. Get back to work you sons of whores!” Clegane loudly called out, startling everyone. As people dispersed back to what they were originally doing, Clegane came over to stand by Gendry. “You seem to know each other.”

“I’d say I know him more than he knows me. Its no wonder you’ve been getting bad intel from him. He’s not just a Lannister man, he’s a bloody Lannister.”

“Fuck ‘em all. Which one?” Clegane growled, sneering at the man on the floor.

“Lancel Lannister. A cousin of Cercei and Jamie’s.”

“What do you want to do with him?”

“Hold him for now. I’ll take him with me when I leave.”

Clegane glared as if he was going to question her then shook his head. “Up boy or I’ll do more than make a fucking eunuch out of you.”

“Can I borrow a gun?” Arya asked softly as she watched Clegane shove Lancel towards Gendry’s desk.

He was startled by her request but quickly nodded. “Sure, I’ll show you what we got.” He led them towards the room where they kept their weapons when off-duty and a few other kinds, most of it for SWAT raids. It was not far and luckily empty when they arrived. “Do you not carry a gun?”

“I prefer knives.”

He stood just inside the doorway in awe of her as she perused the selection of guns hanging in the lockers he opened for her. He had noticed the knife she used to threaten Lancel with was gone, probably up her sleeve again.

“I usually have at least three knives on me at all times. Want to try and find them?” She threw a quick wink at him over her shoulder before turning to continue scoping the guns.

He turned his eyes upwards, sending a silent prayer to whatever gods cared to listen to him to not let him do something stupid. Whenever he was around her, he felt his cock at half-mast but then she goes and says something like that… All this pent-up sexual frustration being built up while around her could not be good for his health.

“What are you looking for?” He stepped forward, easing the door mostly shut behind him.

If she noticed him giving them a bit more privacy she chose not to comment on it. “I need something small and easy to hide.”

“Oh! We just got a Colt Mustang.” He strode over to another set of lockers on the other side of the wall. “It’s a small thing. About five inches long, just shy of a pound in weight.” Snatching it quickly out, he found Arya had followed him and stood just at his elbow. He swallowed quickly as he handed her the small pistol, but a perfect weapon for her to hide easily on her lithe body.

He took a step back and admired the way she handled the gun, checking it out and testing it’s sight. “So Lancel called you a call girl…?”

Keeping her eyes on the gun, she responded casually. “It was the fastest way to get the information I needed. How else did you think I stole the keys to Joffrey’s car? Lancel needs to pay more attention to hands wandering on and in his pants.”

“Do you do that often? With other guys?” He blurted out accidently. The idea of her and another man…especially a prick like the Lannister guy sitting at his desk currently, made him see red. Gods, he needed to get it together. She was not his, never had been.

Her gray eyes held his deep blue ones. “Are you jealous, Officer Waters?”

Well he was already in the deep end, might as well keep going. He crossed his arms. “Maybe I am.”

She moved towards him until they were merely inches apart, her head tipped up, her lively eyes still holding his hostage. The electricity between them felt palatable and he wondered if she felt it too. “As I recall, I was sitting in your lap yesterday…” Her voice was soft and intimate.

“True, and you saw me without a shirt on earlier.”

Momentarily she bit her bottom lip then taking her hand, not holding the gun, she gently traced it down his chest to his stomach before hooking a finger through one of the front belt loops on his jeans. “I’ll admit, I quite enjoyed the view. Do you want to know a secret?”

His breathing felt slightly erratic but he could not remove his eyes from the vixen before him who had a hold of his pants with one hand and a gun in the other. One way or another, she was going to be the death of him.

Raising onto her toes, she pulled him closer. Before he knew it, her tongue traced an arousing trail up his neck until her lips touched his ear then she barely whispered. “I don’t have a gag reflex.” With that she took a step back, slipping the handgun into her jacket’s inner pocket.

Her secret sent a spark through his body straight to his manhood causing him to audibly groan. “Cat, you can’t do that.”

“Do what?” She asked innocently, a coy smile teasing her lips.

“Say things that make me want to pin you against the wall.” Gods, he hoped his kickstand was not visible through his pants.

A throaty laugh bubbled up out of her. Gendry could practically taste the lust in the air and see the darkening in her eyes. “Who says I would stop you?” The tension held them a moment longer before she took another step back and turned away. “Come on, big boy. There’s a warrant we have to get and damn Lannisters to take down.”

He followed her smiling, unashamedly staring at her perfect ass in front of him. “As m’lady commands.” This time when she turned to hit him, he was ready and caught her wrist at the same time he grabbed her ass with his other hand. A split second later, a swift kick to his knee had him releasing her and a hard shove pushed him against the lockers behind him.

Her hand lay in the middle of his chest, holding him back. A devious glint highlighted her eyes. “Perhaps I’ll take you against the wall.” Just as suddenly, she disappeared around the corner into the hallway. Gendry stood frozen for a second before following her. He was not sure if this was love or lust but at that moment he did not care. She was the perfect woman to him and he would do whatever it took to make her his.

 

* * *

 

Gendry practically thrummed with anticipation and excitement. The raid had a green light to go, all they were waiting on was Clegane to arrive back to the station with the signed warrant. It was after nine PM, him and his SWAT brothers lounged in the conference room waiting. A few sat around talking, Stone sat in one of the chairs with his head on the table sleeping. It was astounding what that man would sleep through. Gendry sat with Giantsbane and a few others playing cards, killing time.

“So is our mysterious Cat joining us?” Giantsbane asked pointedly, holding his cards up before him.

Gendry kept a straight face although his insides thrummed for a very different reasons when thinking of her. “Yeah, she’ll be here soon. She’s the one who got this intel. I doubt she’d want to miss out on taking down Joffrey.”

“Uh huh. And it wouldn’t have nothin’ to do with her sitting on your lap, eh?” Gendry glanced at a smirking Giantsbane who continued speaking. “Officer Seaworth may have stopped by asking a couple questions about our Cat.”

Gendry huffed, he knew the old man could have a few questions for him on Sunday then. “Nothing happened.”

“Oh ho! So that is something you do often with all your informants?”

“The important ones. Maybe that’s why I get actual good intel instead of the shit the rest of you been getting.” Gendry teased back, earning a laugh.

Several minutes later Clegane stomped through the door into the conference room with Arya on his heels. “Let’s get this shit show started, ladies.” Clegane called, bringing everyone’s attention to the conference table. He laid a print out of the east end of King’s Landing on the table for all to see.

Gendry could not help the quick glance at Arya, trying to see if he could catch her eye, but she stayed focused on Clegane beside her and the print-out.

“We got the warrant for the little cunt Joffrey, now comes the hard part.” Clegane surveyed his men before continuing. “Cat here says he will be partying at the Jade Palace tonight and usually stays out until one AM. We can’t touch him inside the club so the plan is once he leaves, we’ll grab his sorry ass.”

He was not sure what made him speak up, maybe it was the thrill of taking down an actual Lannister or the beautiful woman in the room. “Boss, why don’t we take him here?” Gendry pointed to an intersection near the nightclub. “He’ll have to go by that way. There are enough cameras around to catch all angles to help against a defense attorney. Plus we can use whatever evidence is in his car against him.”

Clegane grunted then looked down to Arya, biting her lip. Her eyes roved the map for a moment before she gave the briefest of nods. Clegane spoke, finalizing the plan. “Two trucks should do the job. One will come up from behind and another in front. We’ll suit up, who knows what guns he has hidden away.”

Gendry had a fair idea but chose not to say it.

“Where will you be, Cat?” Clegane asked.

“I’ll be inside the club, keeping an eye on the prize and making sure he doesn’t try to sneak out early.”

Staring down at her, Clegane raised his one good eyebrow. “You sure? I’ve heard Joffrey likes to keep some mean fuckers as bodyguards.”

“I won’t be there to cause a scene…besides I won’t be alone. Waters is coming with me.”

Gendry looked up at her shocked. Several pairs of eyes bounced between him and Arya ranging from amused to confused.

She continued nonchalantly, tapping her hip with her pointer finger. “You need someone inside to gauge if you’ll need back-up or worst case scenario. You trust his judgment and he’ll blend in amongst the people there.”

“Can you not watch him? Or you just want some company?” Giantsbane humorously asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Arya smirked. “I have an ulterior motive to going inside that will inhibit my ability to monitor Joffrey. I’ll join Waters before the raid happens.” The air hung heavy with her words, that predator look back in her eyes causing Gendry to swallow. Whatever this ‘ulterior motive’ was, he probably did not want to know. No one questioned her after her statement.

“Ok, no one fuck this up. We’re moving to the big leagues now.” Clegane sounded off, ending the meeting and sending people scattering to get ready to roll out.

Gendry looked over again to see Arya but she had vanished amongst those leaving. He hated how it bothered him she did not say anything before leaving. He knew he was going to see her soon, apparently at the club. That did not help the desire to covet more of her time.

 

 

The music was too loud, there were too many bodies swirling about and those damn strobe lights were giving Gendry a headache. He hated everything about this place. He had been at the club for over an hour now, yet it felt like five. He had managed to find a table and sat, eyeing those around him while nursing a beer. From his vantage point, he could see the upper floor and those partying there, along with several half-naked ladies…most likely whores who worked the club. Fortunately Joffrey’s blonde head would pop up occasionally so Gendry knew he was still there. During the hour he had sent a few texts to update Clegane, unconcerned about people seeing him. A guy sitting alone with his beer and phone out was not the most out of place thing there. Yet it seemed to signal for whores and women looking for attention to approach him. Pushing the fifth woman of the night off his lap, he was very glad he chose not to wear an earpiece. This woman was a bit more forward with her advances and more vocal about her ideas for them. Absent-mindedly he wondered how Tarly was holding up amongst the crowd. Last minute, Clegane decided to send Tarly into the club also. The poor, skinny kid seemed initially terrified then enthusiastic about being surrounded by sweaty, female bodies. Last Gendry saw him, Tarly was on the dance floor with some redhead grinding up on him. Hopefully the kid remembered to look up and watch for Joffrey. Truthfully Gendry was more amused than annoyed. His eyes scanned the crowd before him, looking for a pair of gray eyes. She said she would be joining him, he was learning she seemed to do things on her own timing though. He glanced down at his empty beer and sighed. It would be more conspicuous, he thought, if he was not drinking while here. Hopefully no one would take his spot while he grabbed another drink. Reluctantly he made his way to the bar, giving the giant dance floor a wide berth. It was still not enough to desist a few lingering looks thrown his way. He wore a pair of jeans with a navy button-up long sleeve over a white shirt. Truthfully he had not been sure what to wear. By the looks thrown his way, his physic was not as well hidden as he had hoped for. Gods, he was ready to get out of this place. After several minutes of waiting for his turn, one of the bartenders finally caught his eye.

“Beer please.” Gendry loudly said, getting bumped against by people trying to get to the dance floor. The bartender nodded and went to fill a glass.

“Hey sexy, you here alone?” A woman with bright red lipstick and a matching tight red dress trailed a hand down his arm.

“Not interested.” He was not sure if she was a whore or not but either way he did not want to deal with her.

“How about a dance?” She withdrew her hand but batted her eyelashes at him.

Before he would tell her to get lost, another lady stepped in between their already close bodies.

“Hey babe, did you order my drink?”

His eyes zeroed in on the lady practically standing on his toes. He would recognize that sultry voice anywhere now. Giving him a quick glance, Arya winked before turning her attention to the bartender who returned with Gendry’s beer.

“Dry martini please.”

Gendry took his beer, peeking over at the red woman who glared at Arya then sauntered off to find a different victim. “Where were you with the last five who came at me?”

“Watching…and very nicely dissuading the other ten wanting to pounce on you. Thank you!” Arya grabbed her drink from the bartender then met Gendry’s eyes. “Follow me.”

Without hesitation, he fell into step behind her and almost dropped his beet when she initially turned around. She wore a black bodycon dress with a completely open back, the edge coming just about her round ass. The dress hugged all her curves lovingly and Gendry could barely keep his eyes off her as he followed. She led them to a set of stairs going up to a raised platform. The guard at the bottom of the stairs gave Arya a nod as she swept past him. Gendry followed wondering what was going on. At the top, the raised platform contained several couches and short tables with a few people strewn about. Clearly it was a reserved place about the noise and competitive space of the crowd below. Across the way was an unobstructed view of the space Joffrey partied, unaware of those watching him. Walking over to a white leather couch, Arya gracefully sat down, holding her drink poised for a sip. Gendry sat down next to her, probably closer than necessary but it felt right, observing and noting her alluring look. The front of her dress had a deep V slipping between her breasts while the hem of her dress reached mid-thigh. Mid-calf high boots with wicked sharp heels finished the ensemble of attire. Her usual shoulder-length mahogany hair was cropped short and black with a deep purple lipstick highlighting the fullness of her lips and black eyeliner made her silver eyes pop even more. For a second Gendry forgot to breath while gazing at her. Truly she was the most exquisite thing he had ever seen. Although she wore a dress and make-up, it did nothing to diminish the fierceness he could see in her eyes. She was intoxicating and he decided he could get drunk more quickly on her than any kind of alcohol. Yep, she was going to be the death of him.

“Martini, huh?”

Her lips turned up in a smile as she turned to face him. “Actually whiskey is my guilty pleasure but a martini seemed to fit the role better.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. What have you been up too?”

“Oh, just having fun and causing trouble.”

“I worry what that means. Your kind of fun seems to involve weapons in dangerous locations.”

“That’s why I’m wearing the gun you lent me.”

His eyes widened as he quickly scanned her. “You’re wearing it? Right now?” Practically every curve of her body was showing, where could she be keeping it?”

She laughed, eyes sparkling in the blazing lights. Turning so their knees touched, she lifted her outer leg and tossed it over his knees while curling her other leg beneath her. Her arm she placed behind her on the couch, holding her glass. She looked so relaxed and sensual, a tease and temptation. With her other hand, she grabbed his free one and slowly slid it up her thigh and under her dress. He could not help a quick glance at those around but everyone seemed to be absorbed in their own bubbles, uncaring of the two fondling. As his hand ran across her soft, velvety skin, he touched something hard and metal just underneath her dress. Revelation quickly followed. The small handgun was strapped to her inner thigh. Making eye contact with him, gray eyes holding blue ones, she snaked his hand downward until it reached the top of her boot. Curious, he stuck two fingers in and met the hilt of a knife.

He raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you full of surprises, m’lady?”

She rolled her eyes, smirking as she leaned back. “I would hate to think I’m boring and stop calling me that.”

“What, m’lady?”

“I’m not above dumping my drink on you.”

“You can do better than that.”

“True…but I’m trying very hard to not make a scene and you’re not helping.”

He laughed then realized he had been absent-mindedly rubbing her bare leg that still lay across his lap. She had not removed it so he continued touching and exploring. They sat in peaceful silence, the sounds of the club echoing around them. She looked out over the crowd below them, her gaze flickering towards Joffrey before returning downward. His own gaze swiftly checked Joffrey’s position frequently but otherwise he stared at the alluring figure next to him, his hand drawing random patterns on her skin.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” The alcohol must have loosened his tongue because the words slipped out before he realized he had spoken them and not just thought them.

“Worried about competition?” She teased, eyes still scanning those below.

“I’d just like to know if I’m going to fight some guy when he finds out his girlfriend has been sitting in my lap and deliberately teasing me.”

She did not answer for a long time, her eyes never meeting his as she worried her bottom lip. The more time he spent with her, the more he was able to read the little signs she subconsciously gave off. The unfocused look in her eyes and her pointer finger tapping the side of her glass, she was deliberating something. So he kept his mouth shut. His hand still traced her pale skin, traveling slowly from her calf to her thigh and back down. Finally she muttered softly something in a language he did not understand, it sounded fancy and old, maybe Old Valyrian? Then she leaned forward and set her glass down on the table next to them. Those eyes of hers, endless wells of gray containing depths of anger and sorrow beyond his understanding, met his and her hand that rested on the couch behind them began to play with the short hair on the nape of his neck. He, himself, did not have an easy life, growing up in the slums of Flea Bottom then losing his mother and becoming a true orphan at an early age. Yet what piece of her soul he glimpsed at that moment showed such pain and torment beyond what he experienced. Something changed and she lowered her guard slightly, just enough to see past the cloak of righteous fury and flirtatious teasing she used to keep others at bay. He desperately wished he could wrap her in his arms and hold her, allow some merit of comfort to bleed out of him into her tormented soul. It was in this moment he knew he was forever lost to her. There would never be another like her, one that consumed his being and made him want to protect her at all costs.

When she spoke, her voice was the faintest whisper, all traces of teasing and lying gone. “It’s easier not to make connections. Valar Morghulis….all men must die…and I’ve seen too many people I care about die.”

“I lost my mum when I was little…shot by a Lannister man. I was inside the house when I heard it.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. You had no other family?”

“I’m a bastard. Supposedly we are the products of lustful sin so no one wants to welcome that into their house.”

A sad smile touched her lips. “No, bastards make the best people. I have…had a bastard brother, Jon. He was my favorite brother…gave me my first knife, Needle.”

“What happened to him?”

“He went to the Wall before we left for King’s Landing. I never heard from him again.”

Gendry nodded, the last ten years had not been easy for the servicemen stationed at the Wall. The Wildling attacks peaked about eight years ago into a bloody war with the Wildlings losing grandly but it still did not stop the guerrilla skirmishes since then. “Well if it means anything, I’m not going anywhere. I’m here if you need me.”

“Thank you.”

“And while we’re having a moment, I would like to inform you of how beautiful you look tonight, m’lady. It’s astounding I have had to fight anyone off you yet.”

A genuine smile rested on her face as she rolled her eyes. “How much have you drank tonight?”

“Just enough. Really, you are the most fearsome, beautiful and stubborn person I’ve ever met. I think you’re stuck with me now.”

She laughed, a delightful sound to his ears. “If you keep sweet talking me, I’ll have you right here on this couch until you beg for mercy twice.”

His voice became husky with the images his mind conjured and his hand still on her thigh, but he would play her game. “I never beg for mercy.”

“Twice.” She raised an eyebrow smirking before her eyes darted towards where Joffrey had been. “He’s moving. It’s show time.” She slipped off the couch, leaving her glass on the table as she started towards the stairs. Gendry followed, sending a text to Clegane of Joffrey’s movements. From a distance they followed Joffrey out of the nightclub and to the parking lot beside the club. The night air hit Gendry like a cold slap after the heat of the club and he took a deep breath. Typically King’s Landing’s humid, warm air felt heavy but after being in the club for so long, he promised to never complain about the natural air again.

Ahead of them, Joffrey walked with his arms around two barely-clad woman followed by one muscular bodyguard. Joffrey was screeching about his two missing bodyguards, complaining how useless they were.

“Know what he’s talking about?” Gendry softly asked, throwing his arm around her shoulders to try and make it less conspicuous they were following.

Her slender arm wrapped around his waist. “Oh, Boros and Slynt won’t be a factor tonight.”

“Cat…did you kill them?”

“No…but I can’t honestly say they are conscious.”

Well at least she had not confessed to murder. “Where to now?”

“Let’s follow. I want to watch the prick get arrested.”

He chuckled as she led them several cars over from where Joffrey’s car was parked. Using the keypad she unlocked a deep blue, almost black, sports car.

“You’re driving.” She winked before walking around to the passenger’s side.

“M’lady is too kind.” He slipped into the driver’s seat, more giddy than he would like to admit about driving the car. It was not as fast or as expensive as Joffrey’s but it was still a beauty.

Keeping their distance from Joffrey, they followed the car to the desired intersection maintaining communication with Clegane the whole time. On cue, the two SWAT armored trucks blocked Joffrey’s car. Gendry’s brothers quickly leapt out of the trucks with guns pointed at the car, female screams could be heard from inside the vehicle. He was pleasantly surprised that Joffrey immediately gave up, stepping out of the vehicle with his hands on his head. Joffrey and his bodyguard were quickly handcuffed and thrown into the armored trucks before taking off back to the station before word would get out and Lannister men tried to rescue their boss. Clegane commanded Gendry to drive Joffrey’s car back to the station, along with Giantsbane while the rest of them kept the two prisoners under guard. Although Gendry was thrilled to drive the beast of a car, he did not want to leave Arya. She promised to meet him back at the station, sliding into the driver’s seat after he got out. Split second decision had him taking his long-sleeve off and tossing it to her. He could not help but notice the goosebumps forming on her exposed skin from the night air and lack of clothing.

 

* * *

 

Some time later Gendry leaned against his desk, talking and joking with Giantsbane, Stone, Talbert and Lemoncloak. Tarly had only recently arrived back at the station, clothing and hair disheveled and remnants of lipstick scattered on his face and neck. He had missed the entire raid as he was otherwise…occupied. The guys teased him before sending him to the lockers to clean up. As Stone recounted all the empty threats Joffrey made while handcuffed in the truck, Gendry  felt a nudge from his right.  Beside him, Lemoncloak pointedly looked towards the front door. Gendry followed his gaze to see Arya enter the bullpen, wearing his shirt over her dress, her heeled boots tapping against the hard floor.

“Damn.” Talbert swore as everyone’s eyes drifted to the disruption.

Arya noticed them and quickly walked over to stand on Gendry’s other side. She was still dressed up from the club but her hair had returned to its lovely mahogany locks. He guessed the short, black hair had been a really good wig, surprising him. It looked real.

“Mysterious Cat!” Giantsbane boomed, a huge smile on his face. “The strangest thing happened while Waters and I drove back with Joffrey’s car. We hear a poundin’ from the trunk but thought maybe he just had something large stuck in there. Well it continued the while way, even when stopped at the lights. So we get back and decided to take a look. And oh ho! There gagged and bound was that fuckin’ informant…the Lannister one…Lansen? Landon? No. Lancel! He looked about ready to shit himself he was so excited to see us. You wouldn’t happen to know how he ended up back there?”

She shrugged, deadpanned. “I didn’t want to misplace him.”

That earned a laugh from the guys. Giantsbane made another comment at Lancel’s expense but Gendry did not hear it.

“You look good in my shirt.” He teased, sneaking a peek at her.

She murmured, catching his eye. “Twice.”

He laughed, earning a curious look from the others. The small group talked for several more minutes about the raid and what they hoped with Joffrey now in custody. Things looked like they were taking a turn in their favor with taking down the Lannister empire. Gendry could not help but associate how things took a turn for the better once Arya stepped into the picture. He doubted they would have taken down Trant and Payne and now Joffrey without her help.

 “Oh shit, Clegane looks like he’s ready to murder someone.” Lemoncloak commented. “How much ass kissing you think happened in there?”

Gendry looked up to where Clegane was stepping out of Police Chief Dondarrion’s office with the chief and none other than Petyr Baelish himself. Baelish had arrived speedily after their own return to the station. He could only assume Baelish came to pretend continued collaboration and friendship with the police force and reinforce he knew nothing of Joffrey’s presence at his nightclub. Which was all a lie. Everyone knew of the disreputable activities that occurred with Baelish’s nightclubs but because of a law stating nightclubs and brothels were outside of police enforcement, they could not do anything to stop it. Baelish was a slimy snake, oozing his way around corners of the law and accruing power and wealth with every passing day. Yet they could not touch him. He was not a Lannister man but it was assumed there were certainly dealings between the two.

Beside him, Arya tensed and grabbed his forearm as if to anchor herself when Baelish stepped out of the police chief’s office. Her eyes hardened and she reached for the gun still strapped to her thigh.

“Cat, no!” He harshly whispered, moving to stand in front of her, blocking her view of Baelish walking out.

“Get out of my way, Gendry.” She hissed, glaring at him. Pulling the gun out, she clasped it like a lifeline.

He could feel her hand trembling, forgotten, gripping his forearm still. “You can’t shoot him here.”

“Then detain him!”

“We don’t have anything to hold him for.” He impressed upon her, trying to keep his voice low. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the guys staring, sensing the tension.

“Then move, dammit!” She tried to step around him but he firmly gripped her shoulders, opening up himself for the swift jab from her nimble hand. It felt like a knife slipping between his ribs but he ignored the pain momentarily as she slid around him. Turning, he snatched her wrist holding the gun. He could not let her kill Baelish however much he thought the world would be better without the man. Using the momentum from his pull on her wrist, she spun around and punched his jaw. Gods, she knew how to hit. She was small but powerful. He knew from the impact it would ache for several days after and probably bruise.

“Arya, look at me!”

It must have been the shock of him saying her real name that caused her to hesitate and meet his eyes. What he saw scared him. Her gray eyes were wide with rage and fear, looking like the color of the sky with an approaching storm. Her whole body was slightly trembling and he could see her chest rising and falling rapidly. She was on the verge of crumbling, either into a fury that would end in bloodshed or the depth of sorrow and despair.

“Give me the gun.” He softly pleaded.

After a long moment her grip on the handgun eased slightly. Quickly he took it out of her hand and held it out to the side for Lemoncloak to reach over and take it. His eyes never left hers for fear that if he looked away, she would dart away like a wounded animal never to be seen again.

“Come on, m’lady.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and guided her out of the bullpen, down the long hallway and through the back door leading to the parking lot. He did not care about the looks they received. He had to get her out of there before she fell apart. She might be Faceless but in that moment something stronger rose up within her. She was not thinking clearly and he worried about her actions if she lost total control of herself.

Once they stepped through the back door and heard it slam shut, Arya stepped away from him to begin pacing. He stood near the door, guarding her from prying eyes and watching her. For several seconds she paced under the streetlight and stars above, alone in her emotions and memories obviously warring within her. So consumed in herself, he wondered if she forgot about him as she cursed and swore in multiple languages. Another day he would have been impressed with the vast quantity of profanity she knew but now he could only hope it would help bleed whatever emotions she fought to control. Suddenly she whirled towards the brick wall of the station and began to punch it mercilessly with a guttural cry. Concerned she would break her hand with how hard she was hitting, he wrapped his arms around her, pining her against him. After a brief struggle, she sagged against him, gripping the front of his shirt with her fists.

“I’ll kill him. I promised I’d kill him.” She whispered, tearless sobs wracking her body.

He only replied by pulling her closer to him and laying his cheek on the top of her head. It did not matter if he said words of comfort or not. She would not hear them. Right now, she just needed a comforting touch. He wondered how long it had been since she felt secure and able to actually cry.

“He was there…I saw him…”

“Saw who?” It felt wrong but his interest was piqued.

Gripping his shirt even tighter, like child, she revealed a deadly secret. “Baelish was there…watching…he…he shot him…then told them to take his head.”

“Oh Cat.” He closed his eyes and moved his hand up to the back of her head, pushing her head further into his chest as if the action would allow some of her pain to leak into him. No wonder her instantaneous reaction was to reach for her gun when seeing Baelish. He hated to ask but he needed to know. “Were you there? Did you see it all?”

She nodded and his heart dropped and shattered for her. “I was riding home with him. It was a back road…they must have laid spikes down. Father had me hide before…before he got out. Baelish shot him in the leg so he couldn’t get away. They…they argued then…then Baelish said he wanted Father’s head. There were three guys with him. The biggest one had an axe.” She shuddered against him. “They laughed and put his head in a sack before driving away.”

“I’m so sorry, Cat, I’m so sorry.” He could not imagine watching one’s father being beheaded at the young age of twelve then on the run afterwards. No wonder she did not want to make connections. He doubted she fully trusted anyone since that. Then he realized she was a witness to her father’s murder. If Baelish ever found out, he would have her killed immediately. The necessity of her safety escalade to his number one concern.

“I’m going to kill him.” She murmured again like a prayer.

“I know, I’ll help you kill him. I’ve got you. You’re safe.” He was not fully aware of what he said, so focused on comforting her and trying to share her pain. They stood that way for some time, him trying to cocoon her in his chest and arms, creating a safe haven. Slowly her shaking subsided and her breathing steadied as the emotions eased from her body.

“Thank you, Gendry.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I told you back at that hellhole of a club, I’m here for you.”

“Mmm…so it would seem.” She looked up and gingerly touched his jawline where she punched him. He winced as her fingers brushed it. “It’s a good thing I like you, otherwise I would have used my knife to get away from you.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better? Damn, you got an arm on you. I almost feel bad for the brick wall. At least you only hit me once.” He teased slipping her hands into his to examine her knuckles. Sure enough they were bloody but it was hard to tell if any were broken in the dim light and her lack of reaction when he ran his thumb over them. “We should get these checked out.”

“I’m fine.”

He wanted to protest but decided not to push this newfound trust and lose it. Standing there with her face turned up to his and the starlight catching her eyes, she looked so young. He forgot frequently she was only twenty-two because of how mature and violent she was. In the moment he wanted nothing more than to hide her away from the world that kept causing her pain, to keep her in his embrace until she only knew laughter and peace once again. But he knew they needed to get back inside. Clegane was probably looking for him and he figured Arya was ready to leave and crash wherever it was she was staying.

“Ok, but if they look worse tomorrow, I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Stepping out of his arms, she cocked an eyebrow. “Was I planning on seeing you tomorrow?”

“Well if you want to wait that long. Otherwise later today after we’ve both had time to sleep would be just fine too.”

She laughed, pulling his shirt tighter around her. It was wrong to be thinking about it right now but seeing her holding his shirt closer to her to make up for his body’s warmth lost when they separated only made him want to take her back and kiss her thoroughly until she forgot how to breathe. Just before Gendry opened the door, she placed an hand on his arm.

“You have to promise not to say anything. No one else knows what I just told you.”

“I promise, m’lady.”

Swiftly she grabbed his face, pulling it down to hers and pressed her lips against his for a chaste kiss then stepped back. “Thank you, and don’t call me that.”

A huge grin plastered itself upon his face. “I’ll call you whatever the hell I want if it gets you to kiss me again.”

She opened the door and stepped through. “If I do anything more than that, we won’t be wearing clothes for long.” She gave him a wicked smile and wink as she turned to start walking up the hallway.

“Oh no you don’t.” He moved quickly and grabbed her hips, before pressing her against the wall. His mouth descended on hers, wanting and desperate. Immediately her lips parted beneath his, their hot breath intermingling. He groaned as her tongue explored his mouth, tasting him. Her hands were behind his head, pulling him deeper and closer. One of his hands slipped behind his shirt to run along her bare back, his other had a firm hold on her ass which he had frequently admired. They tasted and teased one another, time felt irrelevant. He was not sure how long they stood there- a minute, an hour, eternity. Whatever it was, it was not long enough. With each passionate kiss and touch, it only increased the fire for more.

“Waters? You down there?!”

Regretfully, Gendry disengaged his lips from hers. “Yeah!”

Clegane called down, not seeing Arya pressed up against the wall. “Get up here. We got shit to do!” His pounding footsteps announced his departure.

Gendry closed his eyes, trying his hardest to suppress the moan caught in his throat. While he yelled at Clegane, Arya occupied herself by alternating nipping and licking along his neck. Gods, she felt good…to good…it should be illegal. He was probably seeing stars already while his manhood was hard as a rock. “Cat, we gotta stop…oh shit…Cat…we have too…” His pleas only seemed to redouble her efforts as one of her hands traveled down to his throbbing manhood, stroking him through his pants. “Oh fuck me…stop…don’t…fuck!”

“I’m trying to.” She whispered hoarsely in his ear, before tugging on his earlobe with her teeth.

With one last ounce of reserved willpower, he managed to take a step back, chest heaving, putting just enough distance between them. “You had better text me tomorrow.”

With mischievous glint in her darkened eyes, she smirked, lips swollen from this kisses and pale skin flushed. “Or what? Are you going to punish me?” She licked her lips, holding his gaze.

His manhood pulsated with a desperate need for her. He either needed to put some space between them or take her there against the wall, damn if anyone saw them. “Argh, you’re going to be the death of me, you know that, right?”

“I hope not. I like you around.”

He swooped in for one last passionate kiss before taking two steps back and adjusting his pants. She tugged on her clothing and hair, straightening herself. A shared smile and they slowly walked up the hallway towards the bullpen.

“About damn time!” Clegane yelled over, eyeing the two of them suspiciously. “Waters, I need you to fill out these forms before we’re descended on by lawyers. The blonde prick is talking and I don’t want to lose the information!”

“Are you ok for leaving alone? Do you need someone to take you?” Gendry looked down at Arya, asking her quietly.

“I’ll be fine.”

“You two have a nice chat outside? Settle on a date for the wedding yet?” Giantsbane joked, leaning against the doorframe of the weapons room.

Arya narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m one of the few people in the world who can murder you and leave no forensic evidence.”

Tormund laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.

“I’ll walk her out.” A new beat cop on the night shift offered, coming over with a cup of coffee in hand. “I need to head out anyway.”

“Thanks.” Gendry nodded to the new guy then looked at Arya. “Before you open your mouth to argue, just don’t. Go with him.”

Arya glared at him before rolling her eyes. “Fine. Let’s go.” She fell into step with the young guy, heading towards the side door.

Gendry could not help one last tease. “Sleep well, m’lady!”

Without missing a beat or turning around, she raised her middle finger like a proud flag for all to see as she kept walking away.

He chuckled to himself as he made his way to his desk. Normally he would have groaned at the pile of paperwork Clegane left for him but he could not wipe the grin off his face. He did not know what the future held for him and Arya but he already waited in anticipation for her text once she woke up.

Not five minutes later, another night cop burst through the side door at a full sprint. “Waters! Oh shit! We need the camera feeds for the side parking lot! Oh shit!”

“What the fuck is going on?” Clegane demanded from a few desks away.

“That new guy! He tasered her just as a SUV pulled up and they threw her in! We need the license plate!” The frazzled night cop cried, eyes focused on Gendry.

“What are you saying?” Gendry asked, hoping what he was hearing was a lie. Every sense felt on high alert, his brain both racing to intake information yet willfully frozen hoping the words he was hearing were untrue.

“The Lannisters. They got her. The Lannisters have Arya Stark!”

 


End file.
